the situation we were in was

a terrible situation. and there were a lot of just frustrating and horrible things to deal with. but what we were in awe of the entire time is the crew that was completely unselfish. >> don't you love to hear stories like that, giving all these props to the crew? the nightmare cruise finally over. passengers on board carnival triumph are back on land and heading home. murder in south africa. an olympic icon in court this morning accused of killing his girlfriend. the very latest in the case against oscar pistorius. >> on this vote, the yeas are 58, nays are 40. the motion is not agreed to. the >> and a republican block in the senate. will the senate see eye to eye on chuck hagel? good morning. i'm zoraida sambolin. >> i'm christine romans. 5:00 a.m. in the east. let's get started. first, the not so triumphant

turn of the carnival "triumph." thousands of passengers who spent five days stranded at sea and slogging through sewage are sleeping on warm beds or on buses or trains, finally headed home it blocked in mobile, alabama. listen to the cheering bounds on board. but also family members waiting for them. passengers began streaming off about an hour later. some were angry and others were stateding it all in stride. all of them relieved to be back on shore. >> we are happy to be on dry land. it's been a horrible experience for us. it was a great cruise to start off with, but it just -- you know, the morning of the fire. >> there was a fire alarm. >> and we've been kept in the dark a lot. we haven't been told everything that we probably should have known. and it was just, you know,

the -- the things just kepting worse and worse and we could never, ever really get a straight answer, the bathroom facilities were horrible, we couldn't flush toilets. >> no electricity. >> our rooms were in total darkness. no air. horrible, horrible. it was just been a really, really taxing experience for us. >> honestly, i don't think this ship ever should have sailed out. i think there are issues with it and it should probably have stayed in dock. >> that's the investigation that's going to happen. should that ship have sailed. right to david mattingly. 3,141 passengers on board. 1,086 crew members. is everyone off? >> reporter: not everyone. the passengers are off. we received a tweet from the carnival cruiseline a couple of hours ago saying that they had completed the process to get all of the customers off that ship, but the crew has still remained

behind. they have continued to work back there. about 20 buses have lined up at the facility here, and they are going to be taking the crew away from here very shortly. there are hotels arranged for them. these crew members, 1,000 plus crew members, enduring the same kind of conditions that customers have. but they had to work through this. and a lot of the people on board as they were getting off, very high praise for the crew here and care they were taking of them during this very difficult circumstances. >> they were the ones that were cleaning up that filthy mess or keeping it under control. we have been hearing about horrific conditions that passengers are going to suffer. you will share images from inside that ship. can you describe it for us. >> reporter: that's right. all of the pictures we were able to get, once people got back

into cell range. this is what we were seeing. exactly what we were talking about earlier in the week. we could see carpets soaked with union. bags of human waste placed outside the rooms. we could see people lined up seemingly in an endless line down the hallways sleeping out there where they had dragged their mattresses so getting out of their rooms, getting away from the terrible smell that was inside. we could see the lines for food. people just languishing outside, just waiting for some kind of relief. the only thing that was different as people did arrive, was that they -- the alarm that was in there their voice earlier in the week, all the tension seemed to melt away as they stepped off that boat and finally onto dry land. >> david mattingly, live in mobile, alabama for us. thank you very much. i understand the ship will remain there and that's where the investigation will begin. it will stay docked there a while. >> and future cruises on the

"triumph" canceled. a lot of people are wondering if they are rebooking on a later cruise or bail out this year on the cruise. some of the passengers from the crippled carnival cruiseship waking up in new orleans. put in hotels by the cruise line. how was their first night on dry land? >> christine, a lot of them are just relieved. telling kind of horror stories about what they've gone through. a very active scene now, because passengers have been rolling in here bus after bus for at least three hours now and so leaved and happy to be here. with one of the passengers now. her name is debbie moise. describe if you can continues that you encountered when they were at their most challenging? >> the worst was the bathroom situation by far. when the -- it first happened and they realized we wouldn't get the toilets working again, they announced over the p.a., if you need to go in the bathroom it needed to be in the shower

drain or in the sink or in red bags they would hand out. when you would use the red bags, when done, you would put them in the garbage can and when filled up, put it in a can in the hallway. there was no ventilation in the rooms either, unless you had a balcony, we did not, so you can imagine how bad the smell was. it was hot, just like a hot port-a-potty. sewage started leaking. the carpet was squishing with liquid under your feet. dripping on people's beds. >> thank you for sharing that with us. i'm sorry it was such a bad experience. what do you want do now. >> i want to go home and sleep and i want to go in-to-inn out burger. >> thank you for voini injoinin us. the cruiseline carnival is offering them their money back for this cruise, a true cruise of equal value plus $500.

some of them are weighing whether to take that deal. haven't gotten formal notification of that in the mail. they will be offered that is what we're told. we'll see if they take that deal or try for something else. >> in & out burger certainly sounds good after that. a hero of 2012 london olympics, but today, blade runner oscar pistorius broke down in court when murder charges were read against him. he is accused of shooting this woman and killing her, model girlfriend reeva steenkamp at his home inpetoria. he has been in court today for a bail hearing. we have more. >> reporter: oscar pistorius makes his way to the court as he

is charged with murder. he spent the day questioned by police, subjected to standard blood tests after a night spent in jail. it's an incredible fall from grace for a man dubbed the blade runner. born with a disability that left wimp without legs below the knees, oscar pistorius would overcome incredible odds to become the first double leg amputee to complete in the olympics. a stabbedout star of the london games last year. nike signed him, as did oakly and a british telecom, seen as a stellar example of perseverance. now all of that is in question. in the early morning hours, police responded to calls from pistorius' neighbors that mult he pelt shots were shot in his mansion. his new girlfriend, reeva

steenkamp, found dead at the scene, sustaining multiple gunshot wounds. she was shot four times through a bathroom door. pistorius is the prime suspect. the blade runner's billboards are being removed around johannesburg. and the state is opposing bail. as investigators and an entire nation wonder, who this man really is? and at this moment, we are getting information directly from the courthouse in pretoria, where oscar pistorius has heard the charges against him. his reaction was an emotional crash. he fell into tears when he was called the accused person by the judge. the judge also saying is he accused of premeditated murder. his face buried in his hands and his body shaking uncontrollably. he does have relatives in the courtroom with him now, his brother we understand is sitting behind him. other relatives and support errs

the as well. we also understand the prosecution and defense may be in agreement to delay this hearing until next week tuesday. we don't know why that is. we don't known it will be agreed to. all of the information coming into cnn at this moment. feeling the emotive weight of the charges against him. >> we'll continue to check back in for the late breaking details. we appreciate it. earl barnett live in johannesburg. hours away from an extremely close count with an asteroid. a space rock known as 2012 d.a. 14. is expected to pass within 17,200 miles of earth this afternoon. it is the closest near miss ever. the best chance to see it is with the aid of a telescope. 2:44 eastern this afternoon when the asteroid passes over the

indian ocean traveling at nearly 18,000 miles per hour. meteor shower shaking things up in russia. witnesses report hearing and feeling a powerful blast followed by bright burning objects falling from the sky earlier this morning. we're told building shook, car alarms went off, cell phone service interrupted. 250 injuries mostly caused by broken glass. we're waiting for this d.a. 14, the one we're wait fog this afternoon, it actually will pass close enough in the atmosphere, where we could have communication satellites orbiting the earth, i guess there is a very outside, almost no chance, but an outside chance it could disrupt communications. >> i'm now concerned. bill nye the science guy will be joining us to explain all of this to us when we don't understand the you nuances. coming up, does chuck hagel stand a chance of a favorable vote in the senate. the latest right after the break. ave a concierge!

i know; it's exciting! wow! what exactly is a cashback concierge? well there's lots of ways you can get cash back - i'm here to help you get the most bang-for-your-buck. it's a personalized thing from discover. it's easy, we won't try and sell you anything, and it's free. free? i want that. yeah you do! this guy is great. high-five through the phone! yeah! i did it. did you actually do it? oh, i did! i totally did. at discover, we treat you like you'd treat you. cashback concierge get the new it card at discover.com. all stations come over to mithis is for real this time.

step seven point two one two. verify and lock. command is locked. five seconds. three, two, one. standing by for capture. the most innovative software on the planet... dragon is captured. is connecting today's leading companies to places beyond it. siemens. answers. [ male announcer ] when we built the cadillac ats from the ground up to be the world's best sport sedan... ♪ ...people noticed. ♪ the all-new cadillac ats -- 2013 north american car of the year. ♪ for a limited time, take advantage of this exceptional offer on the all-new cadillac ats. ahh, cloudy glasses. you didn't have to come over! easy. hi. cascade kitchen counselor.

look! over time, cascade complete pacs fight film buildup two times better than finish quantum to help leave glasses sparkling. cascade. the clear choice. to help leave glasses sparkling. all right that's a fifth-floor probleok.. not in my house! ha ha ha! ha ha ha! no no no! not today! ha ha ha! ha ha ha! jimmy how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? happier than dikembe mutumbo blocking a shot. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more.

welcome back to "early start." his nomination isn't dead, but it could be a couple of weeks if chuck hagel finds out if he should be running the pentagon. senate gem kratz failed to muster enough support to move hagel's nomination to the floor for a vote yesterday. the white house remains confident that hagel will be confirmed but accuses republicans of political posturing. >> ayes are 58, innays are 40. >> reporter: chuck hagel fell short of the votes needed to break a filibuster for his nomination to be the defense secretary. >> the filibuster of senator hagglehag hagel nomination is unprecedented. not a single nominee for defense

secretary has ever been filibuster, never, ever. >> reporter: republicans argue they need more time, too controversial only to be confirmed days after getting through committee on a party line vote. >> we have a constitutional responsibility to -- to consider the nominee. a number of the republican senators have questions. >> reporter: democrats see it another way. republicans are dragging their feet on hagel to look for more information to bring them down. >> let's not hide behind a filibuster. let's have the kourcourage, vots or no. don't hide behind parliamentary tricks. >> reporter: controversial statements on israel, jews and gays and his situation on iran and iraq put him in the crosshairs on both sides of the aisle. mostly fellow republicans, and a

widely canned performance at his confirmation hearing didn't help. >> i misspoke and said i supported the president's view on containment. >> senators have the right to have questions answered. >> mostly because a handful of gop senators who said they wouldn't block hagel, like john mccain, reversed themselves. demanding next week's senate recess to study the nomination and ask for questions. >> i think during the break, it is sufficient time to get any additional questions answered, and i will vote in favor of cloture on the date we get back, and i believe my colleagues would also -- a number of my colleagues would do the same. >> another vote to try to stop the hagel filibuster is already on the schedule a little less

than two week from now. hagel should be confirmed as the next defense secretary after a very tough time from former colleagues in the senate. home at last. the 4,200 people stranded on that crippled carnival cruiseship are on land. "triumph" docked around 10:00 p.m. eastern time and for several hours after that passengers came streaming off, one by one, many priaising the crew. the former disgraced san diego mayor has sut a deal to repay $2 million she allegedly stole from her late husband's charity. maureen o'conner gambled away over $1 million when she raided the charity. she also agreed to treatment for her gambling addiction which she

blames on a brain tumor that impaired reason. president obama, giving his second-term agenda a work out with campaign style events. today, he goes home to chicago, where he will speak to high school students about guns and the need for tougher laws to curb the vy tlens that sdiolenc devastated that city. the public relations fallout from the vacation from hell, ahead. wild salmon with basil, garlic chicken spring rolls, and now salads, like asian-style chicken. enjoy 100 delicious varieties under 400 calories. lean cuisine. like other precious things that start off white, it yellows over time. when it comes to your smile, if you're not whitening, you're yellowing. crest whitestrips whiten as well as $500 professional treatments. guaranteed. crest 3d white whitestrips.

has oats that can help lower cholesterol? and it tastes good? sure does! wow. it's the honey, it makes it taste so... well, would you look at the time... what's the rush? be happy. be healthy.

minding your business. the nightmare cruise, but now the fallout. wall street doesn't seem to be phased by the disaster. carnival shares haven't been changed much. but now all eyes are on carnival management. >> it's a pr challenge, management challenge. a crucial moment for the team running this company. there are those who have looked back and said this looks like carnival's deepwater horizon, right? a pr nightmare. the name of your company over and over in a negative way and customers very upset and speaking badly about your company. we remember what happened to this guy. bp ceo tony hayward, forced out. remember, he famously said he wanted his life back during the drama in the gulf?

no doubt, carnival management team is feeling pressure here. last night carnival cruise ceo jerry cahill apologized. >> i know the conditions on board were very poor. i know it was very difficult. and i want to apologize again for subjected our guests to that. we pride ourselves in providing our guests with a great vacation experience and clearly we failed in this particular case. >> carnival is offering refunds, cash flishgt home, but it doesn't help that ceo of carnival corporation, the parent company, mickey ericsson, seen this week kicking back at a my hey heat game as drama was unfolding, this as people on his ship are walking through sewage. part owner of that team. his net worth, $5 billion, and he's court side. g gerry cahill, a $3.7 million pay package back in 2001. some analysts saying long-term

cruise loyalists will still book. but after after the costa conc ran aground, bookings did not suffer. the tony hayward example has to be foremost in mind for crisis managers. famously said i want my life back. you have to be very careful about the public perception of executives when you have people who are customers who are suffering. >> absolutely. great advice, right? 24 minutes past the hour. we'll continue coverage of that cruise ship. hear from one of the passengers about their personal experience, that's coming up. today is gonna be an important day for us. you ready? we wanna be our brother's keeper. what's number two we wanna do? bring it up to 90 decatherms. how bout ya, joe? let's go ahead and bring it online. attention on site, attention on site. now starting unit nine.

some of the world's cleanest gas turbines are now powering some of america's biggest cities. siemens. answers. so i can't afford to have germy surfaces. but after one day's use, dishcloths can redeposit millions of germs. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to a fresh sheet of new bounty duratowel. look! a fresh sheet of bounty duratowel leaves this surface cleaner than a germy dishcloth, as this black light reveals. it's durable, cloth-like and it's 3 times cleaner. so ditch your dishcloth and switch to new bounty duratowel. the durable, cloth-like picker-upper.

so ditch your dishcloth and switch to new bounty duratowel. why not make the day unforgettable? with two times the points on travel, from taxis to trains. you'll be asking why not, a lot. chase sapphire preferred. there's more to enjoy.

land, it just feels awesome. >> once we hit the ground, we were like, oh, my gosh, yes. >> that's happiness. the mate nayer cruise is over as passengers arrive back on land. live in mobile for the latest. new details this morning as police identify the body in that burned out cabin in california. they identify that body as renegade former l.a. cop christopher dorner. some are questioning whether the police handled the search properly. all you chicken littles out there, the sky is falling, sort of. a large asteroid passes near the earth today. should you be worried? probably not. glad to have you with us, i'm zoraida sambolin. >> and i'm christine romans. home at last. more than 3,000 passengers will be waking up on dry land this

morning. the crippled ship limped into an alabama port late last night with the help of four tug boats and a steady stream of relieved passengers that began to diselm barg an hour later. >> it was the dream vacation that turned out to be their worst nightmare. more than 4,000 people on board a lifeless cruiseship. it all started when a fire damaged that engine. >> we were on the first floor when it initially happened. kind of smelled a funky smell through the air systems that they have in there. so i kind of lowered the thermostat, and this was about 3:40 in the morning. >> so this is the first indication of the fire or that there was a problem. >> the smell. and we were on the first floor like i said, so next thing you

know, i went, laid back down. next thing you know, you hear running, running through the hallways, i opened the door to see what was going on. it was the firefighters, and then i looked and saw smoke, and i was like, oh, my god. telling us, everybody just get out. all need to get out. so we started heading up the stairs and once we got to like level 4, they said it's -- everything has been contained, you all go back to your cabins. >> let's go right to david mattingly in mobile, alabama. everyone is off that ship. what is the scene right now? >> reporter: getting actually a little busier right now. not everyone off the boat. all the passengers are off. but the crew is still waiting to disembark. 1,000 plus members of that crew, who have had to endure the same conditions that the passengers have, except they had to continue to work through it. the passengers that came off

last night, almost every single one of them had a good story to tell, good things to say about how hard this crew worked to make sure they were as comfortable as possible under some very difficult circumstances. so right now, a couple of hours after the last passenger was off, we're waiting now to see the crew themselves go off to buss to be taken off finally to hotel rooms in the mobile air, whe where they can get to some hot showers, hot meals and dry beds. >> people have been uploading pictures and videos taking inside of the triumph. tell us what those pictures, the conditions inside what we know for sure now. >> those pictures started flying out as soon as people got cell service, when they got close enough early yesterday afternoon to hit the howers in this area, and we were looking at them. everything they showed us, everything we were seeing on

social media, and sent directly to us, was confirming everything these customers were complaining about when they first called with those worried phone calls earlier in the week. we were able to see the conditions inside where the sewage had sloshed out of the system when the ship was listing to one side. how it poured out to the carpets. we saw carpets stained with urine, human waste in bags where people had to relieve themselves in bags and put it out in the hallway. we saw people lined up on mattresses out in the walkway areas, just one after the other. seemed like hundreds of lines going endlessly down the side of the ship, where people were sleeping outside, because they could no longer stay in their cabin with the stench of that sewage. so all of the pictures coming off of that ship confirming everything that the customers had talked about. the only thing different after the customers arrived, you could see how relieved they were, so

all of that tension, all of that worry, was gone once they were here, putting their feet on dry land. >> all right. david mattingly in mobile, alabama. thank you. so many of the folks off the ship were almost giddy. talk about the tension breaking, they must have been so happy to get out of that situation, you can almost laugh. >> what was waiting for them? about 200 employees to take care of the passengers' needs there, boarded buses from their location, headed to new orleans. 1,500 rooms reserved for them. but, unfortunately, it was like a two-hour trip they had to take to get there. not so great. and originally that boat was supposed to go to mexico and dock there. and then it was equal distance and carnival is saying the reason they chose to go to mobile, alabama, because 900 of the passengers on board did not have passports and they wanted to make its as easy as possible

for them to get off that boat as quickly as possible. >> another thing interesting is the four or five lost days for these folks. people have jobs at home. kids at home. maybe you have a babysitter with your kids. taken a cruise with your wife or husband. you just think about sort of the pause in your life for four days, while you are trying to figure out. a lot of people -- the knockon affect must be pretty amazing for some folks. >> and they offer the $500. in consideration of that, of some of the -- you know, problems that folks probably had to endure. >> an attorney said that's a starting point. that's a starting point. >> free flight home, full refund for the trip and most expenses aboard and then a credit for another cruise. they have been offered. we'll see what folks accept. we've heard from lots of people on board the triumph. each with their own tale of squalid conditions. >> brandy dorsett. one of the passengers, joins us

live from mobile. how does it feel to be off the boat and back on american soil? >> i'm very excited. my adrenaline is going so high right now. i'm -- i'm just i can't believe it. >> where are you headed to? >> sweeney, texas. >> so quite a bit of time has passed since you got off. what was the first thing you did? >> well, we went to the hotel and i took me a hot shower and then i got me a good, hot meal. >> a lot of people were looking forward to having that first hot meal. did you have any family members waiting for you? >> yes, my husband actually drove all the way up here to pick me up. >> that's nice. >> but i had several family members on the boat. >> were you able to communicate with the folks that were not on the boat with you and let them know about the conditions and

how you were diagnosoing? a lot of people were worried. they were hearing crazy reports coming from other folks on that boat. >> the only time i got contact out was on that monday and tuesday when the other two carnival ships have stopped by to dropoff supplies, so they would keep circling around and everybody was just scrambling to the windows, balconies, whatever they could to do to get any type of internet or cell phone reception out until today. >> what were people doing in the last few days? it was four days extra. we heard somebody call it a really horrible camping trip. a decent cruise and then a horrible camping trip for four days. what were you doing? playing cards, you know, i don't know. somebody said line dancing on the deck. what were you doing for those four days? >> there was a lot of music going on. they cranked the band back up.

me personally, me and some of my group, we pretty much stayed out on our balcony rooms. the smell was too hor toyed walk around the cabins too much or down on decks. mainly we went down if we needed to use the restroom if they were working or grab us a drink. pretty much just read books and laughed. >> how do you feel about the way that the carnival cruise has haneled all of this and the offer they made of $500, a free flight home, full refund for your trip and an additional trip in the future? how do you feel about that? >> i personally do not feel the compensation is enough. me personally, i have my own business, so i -- like others, lost a whole work's week of pay. $500 isn't going to do it. i personally could care less if i went on another cruise right now, so i think they need to do a little bit more.

when it comes to them providing hotels and transportation to get home, that's very grateful, but what we went through, $500 is not worth it. >> it's their responsibility to get you home. they have taken you to a port you weren't destined. it's their responsibility. but that last week of pay, i can see where that would be worrisome. have they made an official offer? or are you waiting? >> as far as we know, they offered us a credited cruise, to reimburse this and the expenses on the boat. >> thank you very much. we really appreciate you taking time this morning. we know this has been a really difficult experience for you. thank you. >> so glad she got her hot shower and hot meal. back to sweeney, texas, very, very soon. south african olympian oscar pistorius breaking down in tears as murder charges against him were announced in a pretoria

courtroom. this new video shows pistol for yus lea pistorius leaving jail. a double amputee won a silver medal as part of a relay team. is he charged with the murder of his girlfriend, reeva steenkamp. and ahead, how did officers miss a suspect who was apparently hiding in plain sight? [ mom ] 3 days into school break and they're already bored.

hmm, we need a new game. ♪ that'll save the day. ♪ so will bounty select-a-size. it's the smaller powerful sheet. the only one with trap + lock technology. look! one select-a-size sheet of bounty is 50% more absorbent than a full size sheet of the leading ordinary brand. use less. with the small but powerful picker upper, bounty select-a-size.

so i used my citi thankyou card to pick up some accessories. a new belt. some nylons. and what girl wouldn't need new shoes? and with all the points i've been earning, i was able to get us a flight to our favorite climbing spot even on a holiday weekend. ♪ things are definitely looking up. [ male announcer ] with no blackout dates, you can use your citi thankyou points to travel whenever you want. visit citi.com/thankyoucards to apply. executor of efficiency. you can spot an amateur from a mile away... while going shoeless and metal-free in seconds. and you...rent from national. because only national

lets you choose any car in the aisle...and go. you can even take a full-size or above, and still pay the mid-size price. now this...will work. [ male announcer ] just like you, business pro. just like you. go national. go like a pro. another developing story overnight. a meteor shower in russia. a powerful blast followed by bright, burning objects from the sky. 247 people have been injured. let's get to phil black on the phone with us in moscow. that's quite a show. and it is certainly -- the

flying glass injured people, sending them to the hospital. >> reporter: they are beginning to describe this. 9:20 in the mortgage. at homes, school, driving and suddenly a bright flash in the sky, followed seconds later by an enormous boom and you look up and there are white streaks across the sky this is what people are describing and what the video is showing. they say u.s.it's a large meteo hitting at month are femosphere boom, shock wave from the initial impact has caused much of the damage. much of the damage reported is broken and shattered glass and most of the injuries reported are a result of that broken and shattered glass. and as many as 500 people have

sought some sort of medical attention. 100 of them have been admitted to hospitals, so not major structural damage, no vast number of serious injuries. a lot of people affected by a few terrifying moments in the region. >> phil black on the phone from moscow. 100 people hospitalized. 500 now injured in that exploding meteor, zoraida. >>incredible. i wonder if they had any warning. dental records confirm that charred remains found in a mountain cabin in big bear, california, identified as christopher dorner. the rogue excop that killed four people during a nine-day reign of terror. questions about the manhunt remain. miguel marquez reports from big bear lake, california. >> jim and karen reynolds did

what investigators couldn't. they found christopher dorner. >> he talked about how he could see jim working on the snow every day. >> saw me shoveling the snow and that was friday. >> reporter: that very afternoon, last friday. a full-blown news conference, so close to the condo dorner was in, he could watch. armed with assault weapons, he could have killed on national television. >> a lot of us all pretty much had the feeling he was still in the area, so many vacant houses up here, key be anywhere. >> san pberrnardino searched several cabins, but never confirmed they were empty. they offered resources to lapd, but were told thanks, but no thanks. hours after the burned truck, the area should have been flooded with officers.

>> i was a little bit surprised last thursday that -- when the sheriff's office indicated that they had maybe 1 25, 150 officers, given they had such a large mountainous area. >> reporter: the chief of riverside police, detectives from his department didn't arrive until monday, the day before dorner was discovered. did you offer anything on thursday? >> i don't know. i really don't recall every conversation that might have occurred between our people and san bernadino. >> reporter: the san bernardino office said that the condo in question had not been rented since february 6th. two, maybe three days before dorner moved in. tied up the reynolds when they discovered him on tuesday, they managed to call 911 minutes

after he left. >> we are very happy to be alive and that the rest of our family is safe. >> reporter: lucky to be alive, going back to that condo never the same. >> just get the feeling, emotion sometimes, just comes over you, like at the unit, think about going back in. >> reporter: two ordinary people caught up in a life or death situation. did it ever have to happen? miguel marquez, cnn, los angeles. >> ahead this morning, our very first images of a large asteroid passing by the earth. how close will it come? will your phone work? that's next. by building custom security solutions that integrate video, access control, fire and intrusion protection. all backed up with world-class monitoring centers, thousands of qualified technicians, and a personal passion to help protect your business. when your business is optimized like that, there's no stopping you. we are tyco integrated security.

and we are sharper. i just served my mother-in-law your chicken noodle soup but she loved it so much... i told her it was homemade. everyone tells a little white lie now and then. but now she wants my recipe [ clears his throat ] [ softly ] she's right behind me isn't she? [ male announcer ] progresso. you gotta taste this soup. with pantene's new overnight miracle repair serum. 8 hours of repair while you sleep. with no residue on the pillow. dare to sleep on it. new overnight miracle from pantene.

[ male announcer ] engine light on? come to meineke now for a free code scan read and you'll say...my money. my choice. my meineke.

off the ship and headed home. the thousands of weary passengers on board the doomed carnival cruise ship triumph, back on land at last. and safe to say, they are mighty happy about it. >> land, like this just feels awesome.

i just -- >> we wanted to kiss the ground. we were like oh, my gosh, yes. >> the crippled ship limped into the port late thursday night with the help of four, count them four, tug boats. >> president obama will speak to a group of chicago high school students about the need for tougher gun laws in order to curb the deadly violence in the city, and across the country it is the latest in a series of campaign stale stops this week, pushing the proposals outlined in the state of the union. the president made gun control a priority following the sandy hook elementary massacre. mayor bloomberg making changes to the way that the nypd handles marijuana arrests. those in possession of under 15 grams of pot will be charged with a violation of a mi misdemean misdemeanor, violators will receive a desk appearance ticket and won't have to spend the night in jail. at least five students and teachers were taken to the hop after a food fight after a minneapolis high school food fight turned into a full-scale

brawl. as maniy as 300 students were involved. teachers and students tried to stop it. officer has to use mace to break it up. are you ready for an extremely close encounter with an as reside? it's coming. 150-foot wide space rock known as d.a.-14. will pass within 17,200 miles of earth. the best chance to see it with the help of a telescope, 2:44 eastern time when this asteroid passes over the indian ocean, traveling over 18 miles per hour. some concerns about potential disruptions to tv satellites or cell phone signals, but no major disruptions are expected. but that is so close it is within our range of communication satellited, weather satellites and the like. >> we'll ask a science geek. let's take a closer look.

half of that asteroid. indra petersons following it for us. she is in the cnn weather center for us. >> you know i am, snright? >> it's not called a meteor until it passes through the earth's atmosphere. this is not expected to pass through the earth's atmosphere. so it will still be an asteroid. it's about to be 17,000 miles a way. what does that mean? moon 13 sometimes that distance. not as far as the moon. it will pass by twice near the ring where our weather satellites are. it won't pass through gps ring. that's 12,000 miles per way. it has two chances to go past the ring where the satellites are. we can't say no, but it's very hard to say yes. so much vast space, the chance this hits anything, is very minute. you won't be able to see this

with the naked eye. even way large telescope, looks like a flicker of light. we don't know what this will exactly look like. so fast, 17,400 miles is-to-be exact. we'll try to see the length, density, and the composition of this, and that's what we'll be looking for as we go through the afternoon. >> if you are a total nerd and i think indra is, at 2:00, you can watch on the nasa website where they will track it too. and we'll track it. >> yes, we will. thank you, indra. up next. a potential security flaw in the iphone 5 and its latest operating system. it exposed how password are, messages and contact list can all be hacked. bikes and balloon, wholesome noodles on spoons. a kite, a breeze, a dunk of grilled cheese. catches and throws, and spaghettio's. that's what happy kids are made of. campbell's. it's amazing what soup can do. try our entrees, snacks and new salads. wild salmon with basil,

garlic chicken spring rolls, and now salads, like asian-style chicken. enjoy 100 delicious varieties under 400 calories. lean cuisine. enjoy 100 delicious varieties under 400 calories. for over 75 years people ...with geico... ohhh...sorry!. director's voice: here we go. from the top. and action for over 75 years people have saved money with gecko so.... director's voice: cut it! ...what...what did i say? gecko? i said gecko? aw... for over 75 year...(laughs. but still trying to keep it contained) director's voice: keep it together. i'm good. i'm good. for over 75...(uncontrollable laughter). what are you doing there? stop making me laugh. vo: geico. saving people money for over seventy-five years. gecko: don't look at me. don't look at me.

58 minutes past the hour. i'm christine romans with zoraida sambolin. top trends on the web. >> an apparent security flaw in the iphone 5 and most receint operating systems. according to the video iphone passwords can be hacked, giving them the ability to make calls, listen to recent messages and tinker with the pass pord. they can fiddle with the power button. can you believe it? no comment from apple so far. "early start" continues right now. feels really good to be on land. not swaying back and forth. >> back on solid ground. passengers finally leave the

carnival cruise ship "triumph." but the journey isn't over for most. high drama in the courtroom. oscar pistorius shaking, in tears, as he's charged with murdering his model girlfriend. explosions in the sky. hundreds of injuries reported after a meteor blows up just before the hitting the earth. good morning, welcome to "early start." i'm christine romans. >> john berman will join us later on "starting point." i'm zoraida sambolin. just about 6:00 a.m. in the east. friday, february 15th. the carnival "triumph" returns and the cruise from hell is over. thousands of passenger who's spent five days stranded at sea, slogging through sewage are sleeping in warm beds, maybe on buses or trains or plane rides home. carnival's crippled cruiseliner docked late last night in mobile, alabama to those cheering crowds. passengers began streaming off

an hour later. some were angry, and others were taking it in stride. all of them relieved to be back on shore. >> we are glad to be on dry land. our -- it's just been a horrible experience for us. it was a great cruise to start off with, but it just -- you know, the morning of. >> saturday morning at 5:30 there was a fire alarm. >> and we've been kept in the dark a lot. we haven't been told everything that we probably should have known. and it was just -- you know, the -- >> that's because you just -- >> things just kept getting worse and worse and we could never get a straight answer, bathroom facilities were horrible. couldn't flush toilets. no electricity. our rooms were total darkness. no air, and we had -- we had -- it was -- >> horrible, horrible. >> a really taxing experience for us. honestly, i don't think this

ship should have ever sailed out. think there were issues with it, and i think it should have probably stayed in dock. >> well, as we understand it, that ship is actually going to remain docked there for a while, and they will look into that, whether it should have been sailing, what's wrong with it. david mattingly in mobile, alabama. officials said it would take five hours to get everybody off the boat. is everybody off? the passengers got off first, the crew was still on board. >> reporter: yes, the passengers are off the ship. that was the one thing about this voyage that seemed to go off without a hitch. they predicted it would take four or five hours, took exactly that amount of time. the carnival cruiseship sending out a tweet that last passenger was on the ship and on the way to their hotel room and the long-awaited hot shower. what we're waiting for right now is to see the crew come off, the 1,000-plus members of the crew who had to work so hard, living

in the same conditions the passengers were living in, but also having the responsibility of taking care of those passengers, they have not yet come off the ship. a couple dozen buses waiting to take them away. also to a hotel room, a nice warm place to sleep and a nice hot meal. >> they really deserve it. especially after we heard from the passengers, everything they did in order to try to make them comfortable. so for days, we've been hearing about the felty conditions and actually quite descriptive filthy conditions, but now we are actually seeing manlies. cell phone cameras in action. can you share some of those with us? >> that's right. we were hearing the thousand words before we saw the pictures and the pictures exactly match the description. we were getting from passengers on board earlier in the week. they were posted to social media. just as soon as people were within cell range, when they got close to mobile, and this is what we were seeing, hallways,

floors that were soaked with sewage. the sewage that sloshed out of the system, and drained from deck down to deck down to deck when the ship was listing to one side. we saw the passengers sleeping on mattresses outside in the hallways. who had to get away from their cabins because they couldn't stand the terrible smell that was inside. and some of those pictures we saw, it looked like the line of people sleeping outside was just absolutely endless. we saw long lines for food. we saw people just languishing outside on board with nothing to do. just waiting to get to port. the only thing that was different once everyone arrived, they were able to smile and laugh and there was a great sense of relief as they finally set down here, putting their feet on dry land for the first time in days. getting away from all of that stress, all of that smell, those terrible conditions that were there on board.

>> you know, you are right, david. we were watching them, they are handling this well. giddy and happy and sharing all of their stories. david mattingly, live in mobile, alabama. four minutes past the hour. shaking uncontrollably. olympic hero oscar pistorius broke down in court as murder charges were read against him. pistorius seen here leaving jail en route to today's hearing is accused in the shooting death of his girlfriend, model reeva steenkamp. a double ample utee, pistorius e history when he won a silver medal way south african relay team. his bail hearing has been postponed until next week. we are live in pretoria with more. robin what is the latest? >> reporter: i'm standing outside the court where oscar pistorius appeared this morning. all the people around me are journalists, you can tell by the

size of this group, the vast international reaction and interest in this case. now, inside the courtroom, it was incredibly emotional. very hot, very stuffy, lots of people standing, sitting, trying to get a glimpse of what the magistrate was saying and hearing, also trying to get a glimpse of oscar pistorius. walked in, standing up straight. the magistrate read out the charges, he literally put his head in his hands and started sobbing, it was very, very sad. he then went on to sit down as his lawyers and the prosecutors sort of talked with the magistrate, and during that whole process, he looked like he was desperately trying to control himself. he was holding his hands. shaking uncontrollably. occasionally he would breakdown again. it appears at times he might have been trying -- he might have been praying. all in all, he looked incredibly fragile and broken and absolutely devastated by these

events, the implications of this, the prosecution looking to charge him with premeditated murder. implications are he faces life in prison. >> robin, if i could just ask you one question. about domestic violence. allegations about some domestic issues. in the past, arrested in 2009. you can tell us anything about that? does he have a history of this? >> you know, i think that we have to be careful about any sort of character assassination. we have to be quick to jump on rumors and things. i will be very cautious that the assault charge brought against him in 2009 was brought because of a lack of evidence by the police. any other charges, there haven't been any other charges brought against him. the police have hinted at previous domestic disturbances. we're unclear that what means, terms of his relationship with reeva, no sense it had been a

violent relationship. before any of this information comes to court, we have to be careful of judging him or painting him, as there has been some sort of domestic violence. really unclear on what happened that morning inside his home on valentine's day. and i think over the next few days, we might get some more information, some more details. because this hearing, this bail hearing has been postponed until tuesday, it means we're really not going to get more much official sbfgs over the next few days. leaks, or drip, drip information coming from prosecutors or police. i really am reluctant to speculate at this moment. >> we really appreciate that. i just want to make a correction. i said domestic allegations. not domestic violence allegations. domestic allegations is their legal wording. republican senators using a filibuster to block chuck hagel's confirmation as defense

secretary and put off a vote until they return to a ten-day vacation, the delay angering the white house and democrats. saying this is unconscionable. more from dana bash. >> the ayes 58, nays 40. >> reporter: a moment for the history books. >> reporter: the motion is not agreed to. chuck hagel fell short of the votes needed to be defense secretary. only four republicans supported their former gop signal colleague. >> this is unprecedented. i repeat. not a single nominee for secretary defense ever in the history of our country has been filibustered. never, ever. >> reporter: republicans argued they need more time, saying he's too controversial, only days after getting through committee on a partyline vote. >> the president has the right to appoint people in whom he has

confidence, but we have a constitutional responsibility to consider the nominee. a number of the republican senators have questions. >> reporter: but democrats see it another way. that republicans are dragging their feet on hagel to look for more information to bring him down. >> let's not hide behind a filibuster. little have the courage to vote yes or vote no. don't hide behind parliamentary tricks. >> reporter: the white house knew from day one hagel's confirmation would not be easy. controversial statements on israel, jews and gays and his position on iran and iraq put him in the crosshairs on both sides of the aisle, but mostly fellow republicans and a widely panned performance at his confirmation hearing didn't help. >> i -- i misspoke and said i supported the president's position on containment. >> reporter: but only in the last 48 hours did it become clear that hagel did not have the votes to overcome a filibuster this week.

>> senators have the right to have those questions answered. >> reporter: mostly because a handful of gop senators who said they would not block hagel, including john mccain, reversed themselves, deciding go along with the majority of republicans, demanding next week's senate recess to study the nomination and ask more questions. >> i think during the break, it's sufficient time to get any additional questions answered, and i will vote in favor of cloture on the day we get back and i believe my colleagues would also -- my colleagues would do the same. >> another vote to try to stop the hagel filibuster is already on the schedule. a little less than two weeks from now when the senate returns from a break. a number of republican senators who voted no now say they will vote yes then if they stick to that, hagel should be confirmed as next defense secretary after a tough time from his former colleagues in the senate. dana bash, cnn, capitol hill. all right.

another developing story overnight. a meteor shower shaking up residents in russia. a powerful blast followed by bright, burning objects falling from the sky. russian officials say 500 people now have been injured. back to phil black on the phone from us from moscow. this was a pretty wide swath of area too, where this metto eor exploded. and most people we're told it's glass injuries. walk us tlouchl. >> reporter: that's right. what's cobecoming clear, a lot people have been hurt and a lot of buildings damaged across a wide area in a few pu terrifying moments. the latest injuries count, up around 500 or so. that's how many russian authorities say sought help. 100 people are being treated in hospitals. the vast majority of injuries are cuts and scratches from broken glass. windows shattered.

and there were sonic booms, shock waves. that's what really terrified people, and that's what has inflicted most of the damage and most of the injuries, and people within that area, have suffered broken and flying glass. russian authorities believe this was one large meteor that hit the atmosphere, tremendous speed, showering across a wide area and trying to track the various pieces that made their way to the earth's surface. the main causef the damage, the injuries being recorded was the shock wave, the son uk boom as a result of that impact. >> injuries -- you can characterize them mostly as minor. mostly minor glass injuries? >> reporter: most of them. 500 or so reported, most of them are minor, yes. and of the 100 in hospital, again, not too serious, but we're hearing there could be

two, three, maybe a little more that are in gave condition. no details of precisely what those injuries may be. but a startling number of people to have been hurt, just within a few seconds. all of this sort of glass, at 9:20 this morning is when people first started seeing bright lights, loud booms, the streaks across the sky. and all of this injury. >> it disd rhys ru it did disru communication? >> reporter: the cell phone network was disrupted. we don't know if that was a direct result of what was coming through the earth's atmosphere at the time or if the shock, the panic, confusion that would have followed in the moments that followed, so many people diving for their phones, trying to find out precisely what was going on. we don't know precisely what the

cause of the disruption was, but significant disruptions in communication at that time in the path of this meteor. >> phil black in moscow, certainly terrifying. >> crazy. international sports icon in his weakest moment. oscar pistorius reduced to tears this morning in court. shaking and facing murder charges in the death of his girlfriend. we'll speak with a defense lawyer who has defended clients like joran van der sloot about this case, coming up. the usual, bob? not today. [ male announcer ] bob has afib: atrial fibrillation not caused by a heart valve problem, a condition that puts him at greater risk for a stroke. [ gps ] turn left. i don't think so. [ male announcer ] for years, bob took warfarin, and made a monthly trip to the clinic to get his blood tested. but not anymore. bob's doctor recommended a different option: once-a-day xarelto®.

xarelto® is the first and only once-a-day prescription blood thinner for patients with afib not caused by a heart valve problem, that doesn't require routine blood monitoring. like warfarin, xarelto® is proven effective to reduce the risk of an afib-related stroke. there is limited data on how these drugs compare when warfarin is well managed. no routine blood monitoring means bob can spend his extra time however he likes. new zealand! xarelto® is just one pill a day, taken with the evening meal. and with no dietary restrictions, bob can eat the healthy foods he likes. do not stop taking xarelto® rivaroxaban without talking to the doctor who prescribes it for you. stopping may increase your risk of having a stroke. get medical help right away if you develop any signs or symptoms of bleeding, like unusual bruising or tingling. you may have a higher risk of bleeding if you take xarelto® with aspirin products, nsaids or blood thinners. talk to your doctor before taking xarelto® if you currently have abnormal bleeding. xarelto® can cause bleeding, which can be serious,

and rarely may lead to death. you are likely to bruise more easily on xarelto®, and it may take longer for bleeding to stop. tell your doctors you are taking xarelto® before any planned medical or dental procedures. before starting xarelto®, tell your doctor about any conditions, such as kidney, liver or bleeding problems. ready to change your routine? ask your doctor about once-a-day xarelto®. for more information including cost support options, call 1-888-xarelto or visit goxarelto.com. for more information including cost support options, meet the 5-passenger ford c-max hybrid. when you're carrying a lot of weight, c-max has a nice little trait, you see, c-max helps you load your freight, with its foot-activated lift gate. but that's not all you'll see, cause c-max also beats prius v, with better mpg. say hi to the all-new 47 combined mpg c-max hybrid.

a hero to millions breaking down in tears in a south african court this morning while answering to formal murder charges. oscar pistorius, known the world over as blade runner will remain in jail after a just-concluded bail hearing. we are joined by a criminal defense attorney who defended clients like joran van der sloot, joining us from rome. thank you for spending time with us this morning what we know, he has appeared in court this morning, postponed the bail and the prosecutors say that they are seeking a premeditated

murder charge now. what does that tell you? >> it tells me that they believe they have enough evidence to prove that this wasn't an accident that this wasn't a situation where he believed there was an intruder coming into his home. that they believed there was some evidence or there is some evidence that shows that this was an intentional act. of course, we don't know what that is yet. i have read wild speculation and media reports regarding, you know, prior instances of domestic abuse in the house, not particularly with this current girlfriend, but, you know, just don't know what it is. i've heard reports where people say they have heard, arguing, prior to the shots. which doesn't seem to ring true, because the house looks pretty substantial and wasn't a small apartment connected to another apartment. we don't know what the evidence is yet, but the prosecutors have clearly their crime scene

investigation team out since the beginning of this, and for some reason, they believe this was not an accident. >> we have a couple of reporters on the ground, and the domestic issues right now is a lot of rumor and speculation. we don't have any clear cut facts on that. another bit of information that came out of the courtroom this woman was shot through a bathroom door, that's another bit of detail we have this morning. so if you are the defense attorney, what are you doing right now? >> well, right now, you are just trying to cope with the -- the speculation and the media reports that are condemning your client right away, and in a case like this, high-profile case, you know, there is an urge to jump to a conclusion, one way or another. you want to sort of resist that temptation and try to get people to understand that we don't know all the facts yet and we don't.

prosecutors assume it was an intentional act, because they don't have any evidence it wasn't. as a defense lawyer, what i'm trying to do is sort of calm the masses and get a little, you know, of the investigatory stage behind them and really see where this turns out. the client has been cooperating with police is my understanding. given statements, and the fact that the girlfriend was shot through a bathroom door as opposed to five feet in front of them, you know, does support the notion that this was a situation where he thought someone was breaking into the house or intruding. was, there wouof course, there e to be a window big enough for someone to climb through for that defense to work. >> we appreciate your time and expertise this morning. the other big story we're following this morning, all of the passengers from the carnival cruise line, cruise ship, are

home. i'm going to talk about what happens now, with the executives of this company, and the pr mopup that must begin starting yesterday. >> when we come back. [ anouncer ] ihop is in time square to compare new griddle-melts to your usual breakfast sandwich. a lot more flavor. [ anouncer ] ihop's new griddle melts... made fresh and hot! hand crafted just for you. it's like a sexy sandwich. [ anouncer ] compare new griddle melts yourself. just $4.99. it's an epic breakfast sandwich. good afternoon. chase sapphire. (push button tone) this is stacy from springfield. oh whoa. hello? yes. i didn't realize i'd be talking to an actual person. you don't need to press "0," i'm here. reach a person, not a prompt whenever you call chase sapphire. why should saturday night have all the fun? get two times the points on dining in restaurants, with chase sapphire preferred.

up high! ok. don't you have any usefull apps on that thing? who do you think i am, quicken loans? ♪ at quicken loans, our amazingly useful mortgage calculator app allows you to quickly calculate your mortgage payment based on today's incredibly low interest rates... right from your iphone or android smartphone. one more way quicken loans is engineered to amaze. ♪

welcome back. we're minding your business this morning. stocks trying to reach those

record highs, and we're pointing to a lower open. and we're looking at the management at carnival. passengers off the ship. >> anyone with business is watching what will happen with carnival management. it's a crucial moment. some say this is carnival's deepwater horizon. no one perished in the incident, but a p.r. nightmare. remember what happened to this guy? the b.p. ceo tony hayward forced out after the deepwater oil spill. he said he wanted his life back after the oil spill. no doubt, the carnival management team is feeling the pressure. gerry cahill apologized. >> i know the conditions on board were very poor. i know that it was very difficult. and i want to apologize again to subjecting our guests to that. we pride ourselves on providing

our guests with a great vacation experience and clearly we failed in this particular case. >> carnival also offering refunds, cash, a flight home, credit toward another cruise, but look at where mickey eriksson was this week. a miami heat game. he is the ceo of the parent company that owns holland america, carnival, and princess. he is pat owner of the heat we should point out. his net worth, $5 billion. gerry cahill, just the ceo of carnival cruiseships. he got a $3.7 million package. he will earn every penny of that this year. cruise loyalists will still book trip as cording to analysts. after costa concordia went aground, bookings did not suffer. carnival cruiselines went down

wednesday, but have stabilized since then. this moment is critical here. all of the passengers are off the cruise ship "trijuumph" and headed home. we'll speak with one passenger, coming up. omnipotent of opportunity. you know how to mix business... with business. and you...rent from national. because only national lets you choose any car in the aisle. and go. you can even take a full-size or above. and still pay the mid-size price. i could get used to this. [ male announcer ] yes, you could business pro. yes, you could. go national. go like a pro.

♪ [ multiple sounds making melodic tune ] ♪ [ male announcer ] at northrop grumman, every innovation, every solution, comes together for a single purpose -- to make the world a safer place. that's the value of performance. northrop grumman. o0 c1 a hybrid? most are just no fun to drive. now, here's one that will make you feel alive. meet the five-passenger ford c-max hybrid. c-max says ha. c-max says wheeee. which is what you get, don't you see? cause c-max has lots more horsepower than prius v,

a hybrid that c-max also bests in mpg. say hi to the all-new 47 combined mpg c-max hybrid. we all work remotely so this is a big deal, our first full team gathering! i wanted to call on a few people. ashley, ashley marshall... here. since we're often all on the move, ashley suggested we use fedex office to hold packages for us. great job. [ applause ] thank you. and on a protocol note, i'd like to talk to tim hill about his tendency to use all caps in emails. [ shouting ] oh i'm sorry guys. ah sometimes the caps lock gets stuck on my keyboard. hey do you wanna get a drink later? [ male announcer ] hold packages at any fedex office location. we are glad to be on dry land. our -- it's just been a horrible

experience for us. >> the nightmare cruise is over. but home is still far away for many weary passengers this morning. new this morning, the blade runner, oscar pistorius breaking down in tears in court. shaking uncontrollably. accused of murdering his model girlfriend. two closent counters from outer space in the same day. an asteroid speeding close to earth as we speak and hours ago, a meteor exploded over russia, causing hundreds of injuries and disrupting potentially cell phone service there. we're talking to bill nye the science guy this morning. i'm christine romans in for john berman. >> and i'm zoraida sambolin. 31 minutes past the hour. home at last. more than 3,000 passengers on board the ill fated carnival cruiseship "triumph" waking up on dry land. the vels was towed to an alabama port. and a steady stream of relieved passengers began to disembark about an hour later. >> good to be back on solid

ground, and, you know, you think about a good three-day cruise that we had and then a bad four-day camping trip. >> after being on that boat for that long and not knowing when or how we were getting back, so good to finally be back. >> you really don't realize how fortunate we are to have a flushing toilet, running clean water and water to drink. >> all the stuff we take for grant granted. >> the cruise line is apologizi apologizing. >> i know the conditions were poor and i want to apologize again for subjecting our guests to that. we pride ourselves on providing guests with a great vacation experience. we failed in this particular case. >> some of the passengers from the crippled ship are waking up in new orleans this morning. put up in hotels by the cruise line. brian todd is there live. did you talk to anybody after

they've gotten a little bit of rest? >> very relieved to be back on dry land. others look so exhausted, really beyond exhausted, just shell shocked. so they are not really wanting to talk to you about their experience. just want to get inside, get hot food and get in bed. the buses rolling in from moebl, alabama. some are getting back on buses to go to the airport or back to texas to galveston, texas, where some of them left their vehicles, but we did get some of them to give pictures, still pictures from the cruise ship, just showing hallways overrun with sewage and feces. the conditions we've been hearing about over the past days. fresh pictures in showing that from the passengers this morning. some of them saying, you know, you had to wait three or more hours in line for food and when you got to the end of the line, there was little or no food

available. sometimes just condiments they could give you. things like that hearing stories over and over again, zoraida. but a very palpable sense of relief and happiness that they are back on dry lan, getting food and showers. >> i don't know if you noticed many some of the folks waving good-bye while you are there. we've been hearing from passengers who quite frankly are very angry, but others are really in good spirits, and praising the crew. have you heard some of the stories where you are? >> just about everybody we spoke to had high praise for the cruise. saying they did everything they could for getting them food, medical care, trying to keep the place clean when they could, but bad behavior on the part of the passengers we heard about. i spoke to a young lady named maria hernandez. she talk about fights that broke out on board. take a listen. >> there was about three altercations and fights, because

either people trying to get phones charged or pushing in line for food while they were drunk. >> she and other passengers said the crew did what they could to keep order on the vessel, break up fights and get people the stuff they needed. >> brian todd live in new orleans. thank you. i want to bring in now ruby, who was stuck on board the carnival "triumph," reunited with her husband, ronny, waiting in mobile. ruby, tell me, what it was like when you saw your husband in mobile? you must have been so happy to be re-up nitted? >> yeah. we were -- we were so ready to be off the boat. these last eight hours were the worst, just because we were so anxious to be off. the rest of it, most people were pretty patient. by the time we got there, we were just ready. >> ronny, whether did you realize that this trip was going to be not just a day or two delayed, but this was going to be a four or five-day extra

ordeal? what was going through your mind? >> probably late sunday afternoon, it started to sink in that it was going to be a while before my wife returned, and then once again when they notified us, i knew it would take her a while to get home, started making provisions to get our kids to and from school, make sure everything was okay. >> well, it's essentially hitting the pause button on your life. ruby, you thought you were going for a bachelorette party for a few days. some bachelorette party, where now you've got three, four, five extra days where you are not home. how were your friends? how was the bride-to-be? what was the mood like with your group? >> in our cabin, we were surprisingly upbeat. we had a couple days where it

was really hard to get through and then after that, i guess we got bored, just decided to have fun. we just, you know, clowned it up. did what we could. >> what did you do? other people said they read a lot of books. what were you doing? >> we put on our bathrobes and pretended to sumo wrestle in the hallway with pillows and would run up and smash against each other. we just go up and visit up and down the halls with other people. and, you know, a lot of that. there were a couple of things that carnival had set up. live bands and such. anything that didn't require power that they could do. >> you guys have kids. >> we enjoyed that. >> yes. >> and how happy, ronny, are these kids going to be? how happy will be your kids that mom is coming home? >> thshe is going to be pretty

happy. wanted to see her mommy. definitely a mommy's girl, and our oldest daughter, she's always one of those that really worries about everybody, so she'll be relieved that -- when we get on the way home. >> our little one doesn't really quite understand. she just knows mommy stayed on a longer vacation. >> ruby and ronny, best of luck to both of you. thank you, guys. my kids at home, i can't imagine. >> i know. taking a look at top cnn trends on the morning. what started as a food fight turned into a full-scale brawl at a high school in minneapolis. as many as 300 students were involved in this. look at the ambulances they had to call. teachers and school security tried to stop it, but the violen violence continued even after officers arrived on the scene. officer has to use mace to break it up. michael bloomberg changing the way the nypd handles marijuana arrests. those in possession of under 15 grams of pot will be charged

with a violation instead of a misdemeanor, and violators will receive a desk appearance ticket and won't have to spend the night in jail anymore. an incredible event took place while you were sleeping. take a look at this. a meteor exploded in the sky, hundreds of injuries are reported on the ground. bill nye the science guy is going to shed some light on this for us when we come back. hi. hi. i'm here to pick up some cacti. it should be under stephens. the verizon share everything plan for small business. get a shareable pool of data... got enough joshua trees? ... on up to 25 devices. so you can spend less time... yea, the golden barrels... managing wireless costs and technology and more time driving your business potential. looks like we're going to need to order more agaves... ah! oh! ow! ... and more bandages. that's powerful. shareable data plus unlimited talk and text. now save $50 on a droid razr maxx hd by motorola. [ slap! ] [ slap! slap! slap! slap! ] ow! ow! [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium-rich tums starts working so fast

you'll forget you had heartburn. ♪ tum tum tum tum tums many cereals say they're good for your heart, but did you know there's a cereal that's recommended by doctors? it's post shredded wheat. recommended by nine out of ten doctors to help reduce the risk of heart disease. post shredded wheat is made with only one ingredient: one hundred percent whole grain wheat, with no added sugar or salt. try adding fruit for more health benefits and more taste in your bowl. you

you

. soledad o'brien is off. brooke baldwin joins us. >> good morning, zoraida and christine. you can hear the collective sigh of relief from the 4,000-plus

passengers and crew on board up until a couple of hours ago. on board that carnival cruiseline "triumph." we're live in mobile. we'll be talking to several people who endured the filthy, smelly conditions while trapped for five very long days. we'll also ask the question, do these people have legal resource against carnival? also ahead this morning, the gripping valentine's day shooting involving olympic runner oscar pistorius goes to court. the so-called blade runner charged with murdering his model girlfriend. what we now know after his hearing this morning. we hope you join john berman and myself live from the special two hours of "starting point" beginning at the top of the hour. >> thank you, brooke. >> we won't miss it. president obama will speak to a group of chicago high school students about the need for tougher gun laws to curb deadly violence in the city and across the country. the latest in a sieries of

campaign style visits, pushing proposals that the president outlined in the state of the union. made gun control a priority following the sandy hook elementary school massacre and in chicago, his hometown, gun violence a major problem. and indra petersons joins us li live. the word cold, not what you see on my weather map. we'll see a couple of lows bringing chances for minimal amounts of snow in the great lakes and the northeast. overall, nothing major like we saw last week. 1 to 3 inches in new england, more toward west virginia, and, of course, out toward the great lakes where we have lake-effect snow. higher amounts, 4 to 6 inches possible. all about the cold air. look at atlanta. today, beautiful, nice and warm.

63 degrees, as we go through the weekend, never want the cold air, but once again, try to stay indoors, 45 degrees for us, it's cold. minneapolis, 18. average 29. everyone feeling the chill. overall, nice and cold. >> live in the cnn weather center. thank you. >> you're welcome. we told you about the meteor that exploded over russia. and there is an asteroid streaking toward earth right now. we'll speak to bill nye the science guy to find out if we have anything to worry about this morning. you have to get that done as well. jackie, tell me why somebody should bring they're car here to the ford dealership for service instead of any one of those other places out there. they are going to take care of my car because this is where it came from. price is right no problem, they make you feel like you're a family. get a synthetic blend oil change, tire rotation and much more, $29.95 after $10.00 rebate. if you take care of your car your car will take care of you.

with the bing it on challenge to show google users what they've been missing on bing. let's bing it on. [fight bell: ding, ding] how many here are google users? what if i was to tell you that you would actually like bing way more than google when it came to the results? prove it. let's look up some taco places. i like the left side. yeah? okay, do we need to find out what the waves are like down at the beach? what side do you like better? i like the results on the right. i'm gonna go with the one on the left. oh! bing won! people prefer bing over google for the web's top searches. don't believe it? go to bingiton.com and see what you're missing.

welcome back to "early start," a one-two punch from out

space. an asteroid is hurdling toward earth and is expected to come uncomfortably close. joining us from los angeles to talk more about these happenings from above is bill nye the science guy. so grateful to have you this morning. we want to start in russia. we know that that meteor caused 500 people to go to the hospital. 100 were hospitalized. any warning that that is happening? how unusual is it that there are injuries from a meteor? >> well, it's unusual so far. but as the world becomes more populous, there will be more injuries like this. the most famous one is 1958 siberia. this is where the comet material was coming into the earth's atmosphere so fast, that the

earth's atmosphere acts like concrete. and it disintegrates mid air, called an air burst and the pressure wave, the shock wave knocked out windows and i guess hurt people somehow and there was -- reports of debris, but i heard a report just the pressure. so these things happen. >> we see this plume of smoke as are you talking about this. the question becomes is there any fair warning? we're waiting for this asteroid come close to us. >> the warning is keep watch the skies. this asteroid is 2012 d.a. 14. it was discovered through a grant from the plantetary society. a group of people who are just interested in this kind of thing. these amateur astronomers, diligent astronomers in spain have gotten very good at looking

for these things. we know 1%. there are another 99% of objects that could destroy a city in an instant. we don't know how fast they are going, where they are at, whether they will cross the earth's orbit. if we were 15 1/2 minutes farther along in the orbit, or if d.a. was 15 1/2 minutes faster, there would be a major impact that would level 2,000 square kilometers. so this thing over russia say warning shot for us humans. >> in this situation with the asteroid hurdling toward us? do we have nothing to worry about? talking to moscow, communications went down, cell phone communication went down. not certain if it was the meteor or the number of people getting on their cell phones to call loved ones? >> this one, 2012 d.a. 14,

absolutely no way it's going to hit us. no way. it will not hit any of our satellites. very, very, very unlikely there is a spent rocket fuss ladies and gentlemen -- fuselage that it will come 100 kilometers with, but even that is a miss. we don't know how many more of these objects are out there, and if one of them hits a city or anything, it will destroy it. just destroy it. and so this is a warning shot for us humans to watch the sky. if we had enough warning, several years' warning, we could easily -- or easily. we could do something about it, we have the spacecraft technology, the space bearing nations in the world could slow it down or speed it up just ever so slightly and it would miss us. and there are science fiction stories about asteroids is and so on, but they are based on fact. this is something for everyone

to think about. >> the timing of this is really scary. >> kind of cool. scary, but also -- it's an opportunity. >> yeah, we're really happy that they are funding you in order to continue watching the skies. we really appreciate that. >> we're nonprofit. thank you. good morning. >> thank you. we appreciate it. back to you. olympic star oscar pistorius broke down when officially charged with murder. pistorius accused of killing his model girlfriend on valentine's day. joe carter here with the bleacher report. >> a report every said pistorius not only broke in tears, but his entire body shook uncontrollably and he sobbed desperately after murder charges read to him. according to several reports, pistorius shot his girlfriend, reeva steenkamp four times through a bathroom door at his house. pistorius had previously faced "allegations of a domestic nature."

steenkamp has a reality tv show debuting this weekend. pistorius's bail hearing has been continued until tuesday. all right. oklahoma city's kevyn durant. miami's lebron james, the two best players in the nba, rematch of the last year's nba finals. all miami, all game. lebron james, 30 points again. 39 to be impact, but failed to shoot over 60%, nba record comes to an end. shot 69%. oh, so close. miami won seven straight, and also beaten the thunder six straight times, including the playoffs, the lpga australian open was delayed by what else? kangaroos. look at that. dozens of them bounced up and down the fairways. they actually had to stop play for a short time. watching this got us thinking, what if a kangaroo were to pick up a player's ball? according to rules, that player

would not be penalized because kanga wouroos are not considere part of the course this is the exact same course that daniela ho holmquist was bitten by a black widow spider. >> a lot of action going on. >> "early start" back after this quick break. ó?

all right that's a fifth-floor problem... ok. not in my house! ha ha ha!

ha ha ha! no no no! not today! ha ha ha! ha ha ha! jimmy how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? happier than dikembe mutumbo blocking a shot. get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. new griddle-melts to yourime usual breakfast sandwich. a lot more flavor. [ anouncer ] ihop's new griddle melts... made fresh and hot! hand crafted just for you. it's like a sexy sandwich. [ anouncer ] compare new griddle melts yourself. just $4.99. it's an epic breakfast sandwich.